Strapping band device and method of making the same



Fell 15, 1966 |-:.T1MMERBE1L ETAL 3,234,610

STRAPPING BAND DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed Oct. 7, 1953 United States Patent O s Claims. icl. 24-zo) This application is a continuation of copending application Serial No. 384,666, filed October 7, 1953, no-W abandoned. The present invention relates to strapp-ing bands. More particularly, the invention relates to metal bands for strapping packages, bundles, bales and the like wherein the bands encircle the packages so that the ends of the band overlap and are Vfastened together.

It is an `object -of the present invention to provide an improved strapping band of the above type and method of making the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide fastenening means for the ends of the strapping band which overlap in encircling packages of the above type.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide fastening means for bands of the above type which are integral with Ithe band ends and which do not require additional locking devices for holding the band ends from longitudinal movement relative to each other.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a strapping band of the above type having locking portions which can be manually fastened together.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists in a band device for strapping packages w-hich includes an elongated flexible band, the band being of a length adapted to encircle a package .to be strapped with opposite end portions of the band overlapping each other, the band being formed in one of the end portions thereof with laterally spaced slots converging toward one end of the band, the band portion between the converging slots being bent out of the plane `of the band so as to form a raised band portion having edges converging toward the end of the band, the band being formed in the other of the end portions with laterally spaced slots diverging toward the other end -of the band, the band portio-n between the diverging slots being bent out of the plane of the band so as to form a raised band portion having edges diverging Itoward `the other end of the band, whereby -when the band is arranged encircling the package with the end portions thereof overlapping each other, the raised band portions of the overlapping end portions may be pressed together for interlocking the overlapping end portions.

The invention also consists in a method of strapping a package which comprises the steps of forming in one end portion of a -flexible band at least one pair of laterally spaced `slots converging toward one end yof the band and forming in the other end portion of the band at least one pair of laterally spaced slots diverging toward the other end of the band, while bending the band portions between the slots off each pair out of the plane o-f the band so as to form raised band portions having edges respectively converging and diverging toward the opposite ends o-f the band, encircling a package ywith this thus formed band so that the opposite end portions overlap each other with the raised band portions superimposed on each other, and pressing together the superimposed raised por- "ice tions of the overlapping end portions of the band for interlocking the end portions.

The novel method and strapping band provided by the present invention are particularly suitable for strapping such packages which consists of material pressed together under pressure, as yfor example rags, waste paper, textile, and the like, which after release of the pressure exerted thereon expand to a larger diameter. When a band constructed in accordance with the invention is placed around packages of the above type and the locking portions are loosely joined together, the release of the press-ure from the package `or bale allows an ou-twardly directed pressure to be exerted by the compressed material which itself is capable of producing a locking action between the locking portions.

In accordance with the invention, the locking portion of the lower band end may be made narrower than the upper locking portion, as for example by about 1A@ mm., in order to provide for easily manually joining the lockin-g por-tions together. To improve the security of the locking arrangement, it is further of advantage to provide a plurality of laterally spaced adjacent pairs of angularly arranged slots. It has been found that the provision of such a plurality of laterally spaced lock-ing portions produces a surprisingly greater locking action of the band than where only a single locking portion is provided, even though the single locking portion is wider than the plurality of locking portions.

Also, in -accordance with the invention two or more locking portions may be arranged in alignment along the length of the band, as well as arranging the locking portions longitudinally in combination with lateral rows of locking portions.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as -to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the `following d-escription of specific embodiments vvhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a bale bound with strapping bands constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another form of the invention;

yFIG. 5 is a plan view of still a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a `side View of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG, 7 is a detailed plan view of the interlocking portions of the band according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown `a bale of compressed material which is encircled along its length with one band constructed in accordance with the invention, and is encircled in transverse direction with three such bands. Each of these bands 7 is provided at the overlapping end portion with a locking structure formed by slots 8 and locking portions 9. Each of these locking structures in the overlapping band ends 7-7" consisting of a pair of oppositely patented angular, step-shaped slots 8 8 spaced laterally from each other forming an intermediate portion 9 which is curved, pressed outwardly from the plane of the band so as to project therefrom, while the main portion of the band itself in the vicinity of the slots 8-8 remains preferably in an even plane, as shown more clearly in FIG. 6.

FIG. 2 shows a locking structure in which two pairs of angular slots 8-8 are provided, the slots in each pair being step-shaped and, in the upper end portion 7, converging toward the end thereof, the paired s-lots in the lower overlapping end portion 7" being formed to diverge toward the end thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 the portions 9 and 9 of the upper and lower overlapping end portions, respectively, are pressed upwardly from the plane lof the band, the lower projecting portion 9 being pressed into the hollow formed on the underside of portion 9 so that the shoulder portions of portion 9 may engage in the corresponding slot of the upper band end portion 7, and by opposite longitudinal movement of the overlapping band end portions due, for example, to the expanding pressure of the compressed bale, the band portions become interlocked with each other. As more clearly shown in FIG. 7, the lower portion 9 may be narrower than upper portion 9 to facilitate manually pressing the portions into one another.

Directly in front of the pairs of locking structures at the end of the upper band end portion 7, dome-shaped embossed portions and 10 are provided in both of the overlapping portions, in order to prevent the separation of the ends of the bands from each other.

FIG. 3 shows a locking structure for the band wherein three pairs of sl'ots 8-8 are provided in the overlapping end portions extending along the length of the band, to provide a corresponding number of raised locking portions 9 and 9.

FIG. 4 shows a further form of the locking structure of the invention, wherein three pairs of slots 8-8 are provided of which two are -arranged in the same lateral plane while the third is arranged centrally of the band longitudinally spaced from the first pair of locking structures.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention, wherein four pairs of slots are provided, of which two are arranged in one lateral plane while the other two are arranged behind the first two aligned in a second lateral plane.

The bale is strapped in the following manner. First, Aa plurality of bands 7 are cut to such length as to encircle the particular portion of the bale desired to be strapped, leaving su'lcient length of the band for overlapping of the end portions. Each of the thu-s cut bands 7 is provided with one or more locking structures 8-9 -arranged on the corresponding overlapping end portions so that the locking structures may be superimposed lon each other when the bands encircle the bale. Then, the necessary number of such bands are placed around the bale which has been compressed, the locking 4structures of the corresponding end structures being superimposed on each other, and pressed together by hand, so that the projecting locking portions fit into one another, as more clearly shown in FIG. 6. When the pressure compressing the bale is released, the bale expands somewhat, with the result that the intertitting locking portions move longitudinally relative to each other and become interlocked to securely hold the loverlapping band ends together.

While the material Iof the strapping bands is suitably of strap metal of the usual type employed for strapping lbales and packages of the type described above, other types of material other than metal may be suitable for the purposes of the invention, so long as the material is such that the projecting locking portions will retain their pressed out shape to effectively engage the slot edges in the manner described above.

The advantage of the present invention over the known types of locking means for ystrapping bands of the above type i-s that a minimum of material is used in bands havingl locking lstructures made according to the present invention, there being no necessity for forming loops in the end portions which result in excessive use of material or for providing additional and separate locking means for holding the band ends together, other than the integral locking structure described above. For this reason the band locking structure of the present invention is particularly economical, and especially since only a short overlapping of the band ends is necessary.

Various other modifications in the present invention are possible, other than those described above, the particular means for holding the band ends together shown at 10 in the drawings being adapted to be modified, or to be supplemented by other means for preventing the lifting of one band end from the other.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of fastening devices differing from the types described above.

While the invention has Ibeen illustrated and described as embodied in strapping bands, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying lcurrent knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such -adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A band device for strapping packages, including an elongated flexible band, said band being of a length adapted to encircle a package to be strapped with one end portion thereof underlying the other end portion thereof, said band being formed in one of the end portions thereof with laterally spaced elongated stepped slits converging over at least part of their length toward one end portion of said band, the band portion between said converging stepped slits being bent out of the plane of the band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges converging over at least part of their length toward said one end of said band, said band being formed in the other of said end portions with laterally spaced elongated stepped slits diverging toward the other end of said band, the band portion between said diverging stepped slits being bent out of the plane of said band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges diverging over at least part of their length toward said other end of the band, the one end portion being adapted to lie beneath the raised band portion of the other end portion when said end portions overlap each other and being narrower than said raised band portion of said other end portion, the stepped slits in said one end portion being arranged closer to each other than the stepped slits in said other end portion so that said raised band portion in said one end portion underlying said other end portion is narrower than said raised band portion in said other end portion so as to have its edges inwardly spaced from the edges of said raised band portion of the other end portion, whereby when said band is arranged encircling the package with the end portions thereof overlapping each other, said narrower raised band portion of said one end portion may be manually pushed through the space between said stepped slits in said other end portion into engagement with said curved raised band portion thereon and said overlapping end portions may then be pulled in longitudinal direction for interlocking said overlapping end portions, the arcuate curvature of said raised band portions extending over the entire length of the latter facilitating smooth sliding of said band portions into and out of engagement.

2. A band device for strapping packages, including an elongated flexible metal band, said band being of a length adapted to encircle a package to be strapped with one end portion thereof underlying the other end portion thereof, said band being formed in onerof the end portionsthereof with laterally spaced elongated stepped slits converging over at least part of their length toward one end portion of said band, the band portion between said converging stepped slits being bent out of the plane of the band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges converging over at least part of their length toward said one end of said band, said band being formed in the other of said end portions with laterally spaced elongated stepped slits diverging over at least part of their length toward the other end of said band, the band portion between said diverging stepped slits being bent out of the plane of said band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges diverging over at least part of their length toward said other end of the band, the one end portion which is being adapted to lie beneath the raised band portion of the other end portion when said end portions overlap each other and being narrower than said raised band portion of said other end portion, the stepped slits in said one end portion being arranged closer to each other than the stepped slits in said other end portion so that said raised band portion in said one end portion underlying said other end portion is narrower than said raised band portion in said other end portion, whereby when said band is arranged encircling the package with the end portions thereof overlapping each other said raised narrower band portion of said one end portion may be manually pushed through the space between said stepped slits in said other end portion into engagement with said curved raised band portion thereon and said overlapping end portions may then be pulled in longitudinal direction for interlocking said overlapping end portions, the arcuate curvature of said raised band portions extending over the entire length of the latter fa-cilitating smooth sliding of said band portions into and out of engagement.

3. A band device for strapping packages, including an elongated flexible metal band, said band being of a length adapted to encircle a package to be strapped with one end portion thereof underlying the other end portion thereof, said band being for-med in one of the end portions thereof with a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced stepped slits with the stepped slits in each pair converging toward one end portion of said band, the band portions between said converging stepped slits being bent out of the plane of the band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges converging over at least part of their length toward said one end of said band, said band being formed in the other of said end portions with a corresponding number of pairs of laterally spaced stepped slits with the stepped slits in each pair diverging toward the other end of said band, the band portions between said diverging slots being bent out of the plane of said band so as to form a raised band portion arcuately curved throughout its entire length and having edges diverging over at least part of their length toward said other end of the band, the one end portion being adapted to lie beneath the raised band portion of the other end portion when said end portions overlap each other and being narrower than said raised band portions of said other end portion, the stepped slits in said one end portion being arranged closer to each other than the stepped slits in said other end portion so that said raised band portion in said one end portion underlying said other end portion is narrower than said raised band portion in said other end portion, whereby when said band is arranged encircling the package with the end portions thereof overlapping each other, said raised band portions of said one end portion may be manually pushed through the space between said stepped slits in said other end portion into engagement with said curved raised band portion thereon and said overlapping end portions may then be pulled in longitudinal direction for interlocking said overlapping end portions, the arcuate curvature of said raised band portions extending over the entire length of the latter facilitating smooth sliding of said band portions into and out of engagement.

4. A method of strapping a package, comprising the steps of preforrning in a first end portion of a flexible metal band at least one pair of laterally spaced stepped slits converging over at least part of their length toward said first end portion of said band and forming in a second end portion of the band at least one pair of laterally spaced stepped slits diverging over at least part of their length toward said second end portion of said band, while bending the band portions between the stepped slits of each pair out of the plane of the band so as to form raised band portions arcuately curved throughout their entire length and having edges respectively stepwise converging and diverging toward the opposite ends of said band, the stepped slits in one of said end portions being arranged closer to each other than the stepped slits in the other of said end portions so that one of said raised band portions is thereby formed narrower than the other of said raised band portions; encircling a package with the thus formed band so that that end portion which is formed with said narrower raised portion is overlapped by the other end portion with the raised band portions thereof superimposed on each other; and manually pushing said superimposed raised portions of the overlapping end portions of the band together for interlocking said end portions, the arcuate curvature of said raised band portions extending over the entire length of the latter facilitating smooth sliding of said band portions into and out of engagement.

5. A method of strapping a bale of compressible material, comprising the steps of preforming in a rst end portion of a exible metal band at least one pair of laterally spaced stepped slits converging over at least part of their length toward said rst end portion of said band and forming in a second end portion of the band at least one pair of laterally spaced stepped slits diverging over at least part of their length toward said second end portion of said band, while bending the band portions between the stepped slits of each pair out of the plane of the band so as to form raised band portions arcuately curved throughout their entire length and having edges respectively stepwise converging and diverging toward lthe opposite ends of said band, the stepped slits in one of said end portions being arranged closer to each other than the stepped slits in the other of said end portions so that one of said raised band portions is thereby formed narrower than the other of said raised band portions; encircling a package with the thus formed band so that that end portion which is formed with said narrower raised portion is overlapped by the other end portion with the raised band portions thereof superimposed on each other while compressing the bale; manually pushing said superimposed raised portions of the overlapping end portions of the band together; and releasing the pressure on said bale for interlocking sa-id end portions whereby the arcuate curvature of said raised band portions extending over the entire length of the latter facilitates smooth sliding of said band portions into and out of engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 113,518 4/1871 Holmes et al. 24-20 180,910 8/1876 Olmsted 24-20 1,203,688 11/1916 Beugler 217-91 FOREIGN PATENTS 774,167 9/ 1934 France. 648,535 8/ 1937 Germany. 417,821 10/ 1934 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Examiner. 

1. A BAND DEVICE FOR STRAPPING PACKAGES, INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE BAND, SAID BAND BEING OF A LENGTH ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE A PACKAGE TO BE STRAPPED WITH ONE END PORTION THEREOF UNDERLYING THE OTHER END PORTION THEREOF, SAID BAND BEING FORMED IN ONE OF THE END PORTIONS THEREOF WITH LATERALLY SPACED ELONGATED STEPPED SLITS CONVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD ONE END PORTION OF SAID BAND, THE BAND PORTION BETWEEN SAID CONVERGING STEPPED SLITS BEING BEND OUT OF THE PLANE OF THE BAND SO AS TO FORM A RAISED BAND PORTION ARCUATELY CURVED THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND HAVING EDGES CONVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID BAND, SAID BAND BEING FORMED IN THE OTHER OF SAID END PORTIONS WITH LATERALLY SPACED ELONGATED STEPPED SLITS DIVERGING TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID BAND, THE BAND PORTION BETWEEN SAID DIVERGING STEPPED SLITS BEING BENT OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID BAND SO AS TO FORM A RAISED BAND PORTION ARCUATELY CURVED THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH AND HAVING EDGES DIVERGING OVER AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH TOWARD SAID OTHER END OF THE BAND, THE ONE END PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO LIE BENEATH THE RAISED BAND PORTION OF THE OTHER END PORTION WHEN SAID END PORTIONS OVERLAP EACH OTHER AND BEING NARROWER THAN SAID RAISED BAND PORTION OF SAID OTHER END PORTION, THE STEPPED SLITS IN SAID ONE END PORTION BEING ARRANGED CLOSER TO EACH OTHER THAN THE STEPPED SLITS IN SAID OTHER END PORTION SO THAT SAID RAISED BAND PORTION IN SAID ONE END PORTION UNDERLYING SAID OTHER END PORTION IS NARROWER THAN SAID RAISED BAND PORTION IN SAID OTHER END PORTION SO AS TO HAVE ITS EDGES INWARDLY SPACED FROM THE EDGES OF SAID RAISED BAND PORTION OF THE OTHER END PORTION, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BAND IS ARRANGED ENCIRCLING THE PACKAGE WITH THE END PORTIONS THEREOF OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, SAID NARROWER RAISED BAND PORTION OF SAID ONE END PORTION MAY BE MANUALLY PUSHED THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID STEPPED SLITS IN SAID OTHER END PORTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CURVED RAISED BAND PORTION THEREON AND SAID OVERLAPPING END PORTIONS MAY THEN BE PULLED IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION FOR INTERLOCKING SAID OVERLAPPING END PORTIONS, THE ARCUATE CURVATURE OF SAID RAISED BAND PORTIONS EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE LATTER FACILITATING SMOOTH SLIDING OF SAID BAND PORTIONS INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT. 